'Manchanda writes with a mock-gravity and gracious lightness of touch that are rare among present-day Indian English novelists ... this remarkably accomplished and occasionally very funny first novel brings a small mining town in Eastern India to life, a world to which he has given an unforgettable incarnation.' - Amit Chaudhuri

'A finely paced novel about growing up in a small mining town, richly observant, its satire never cynical, its stories poignant, its effect far-reaching.' - Adil Jussawalla

'A spectacular debut ... keen observation of detail, lyrical prose ... Manchanda manages to make the incidents narrated of absorbing interest.' - Khushwant Singh, Hindustan Times

'Perhaps the most striking thing about Rohit Manchanda's novel is that it feels like a Bildungsroman with none of the genre's progressive temporality ... The book's focus on the provincial intriguingly anticipates the English popular novels from India of the following decade ... This deeply personal novel is also profoundly historical, achieving the verisimilitude of historical thought that can only belong to a child.' - Saikat Majumdar, Los Angeles Review of Books

'Wonderful eye and ear for detail ... poetic charm ... words have been employed for their sheer shape and sound and sensuous feel. Exciting flashes of experience are rendered by Manchanda in such painstaking detail that they often bring a painful lump in the throat.' - Biblio

'Manchanda is exceptionally aware of the virtues of precision in a descriptive novel [and] portrays the idiosyncrasies of his characters with brilliant flourish ... A beautifully told story ... invariably witty ... immensely enjoyable.' - Outlook

'Engaging and memorable ... a leisurely, unburdened style ... everything is seen minutely, steadfastly, tenderly.' - The Pioneer

'A living and moving book ... exciting excursions into the recesses of a child's eagerly receptive mind ... throbbing with the spirit of childish abandon.' - Sunday Observer

'Manchanda is able to capture the magic of childhood enduringly. Very few contemporary Indian writers can be said to have accomplished this feat. Warm and funny ... keeps you smiling all through the book.' - The Week